Adult education and continuing training

In 2008, nearly one in three of the population in the age bracket 25 – 64 years participated in educational activity, counting both publicly funded and workplace internal and private education programmes and courses in connection with employment or in some form of leisure-time education.

Education and training for adults at all levels

Adult general education and vocational education and training range from non-formal education to qualifying general education and continuing vocational training. Generally, the syllabus and examinations are adapted to the experience and interests of adults and in some cases they may obtain recognition for prior formal and non-formal learning.

Adult courses leading to formal qualifications qualifying for further education or for the labour market include:

• Preparatory adult education (FVU, offered to improve basic literacy and numeracy skills of adults who do not have sufficient qualifications to follow education and training or cope with the demands of working life).
• General adult education (AVU, general education at lower secondary level).
• Higher preparatory single-subject courses (HF, general education at upper secondary level).
• Adult vocational training (AMU, the main target group is unskilled and skilled workers on the labour market who need to develop their competences. The programmes are developed and adapted according to the needs of the labour market).
• Basic adult education (GVU, based on credit for former experience and qualifications of the individual participant supplemented with selected courses from the vocational training programme leading to the same professional level and same final test as pupils who complete a corresponding youth education).
• Further adult education (VVU, corresponding to the level of academy profession programmes).
• Diploma programmes (Diploma degree, corresponding to the level of bachelor programmes).
• Master's programmes (Master degree, corresponding to the level of candidatus programmes).

Non-formal education

A wide range of different schools operate within the framework of non-formal adult education (folkeoplysning). The most well-known are the Folk High Schools, which are residential schools providing general and non-formal education. The length of courses vary – from one week to up to almost a year – and are attended by adults of all ages. They are non-qualifying courses meant to broaden general, social and democratic competencies. Other programmes of liberal adult education are offered by Adult Education Associations and Day Folk High Schools, or can be university extension courses.

Light green = Mainstream Education System (column 1)
Light blue = Vocationally Adult Education (column 2)
Light red = General Adult Education (column 3)
Light yellow = Non-formal Adult Education (column 4)